Christmas pudding – do you love it or hate it?

I love Christmas pudding and always leave room for a decent portion. Home-made Christmas pud rarely disappoints and for me it is the most enjoyable aspect of the meal.

In contrast, I am usually disappointed by the Christmas pudding at pre-Christmas functions. A diminutive helping that is sometimes burned by reheating in a microwave oven. A microwave is great for reheating Christmas pud, providing it is not on full-power.

I look out for discounted Christmas puddings after the festive period, to provide something to look forward to during the dull, wet days of January.

Used to love my mother’s Christmas pud, sticky is not the word for it, all fruit – no added sugar. And she didn’t waste the brandy either, that all went into the sauce, whey-hey. I’m diabetic now, so all my Christmas pud eating takes in my imagination -ahh!

Christmas pud is all part of the ritual – once a year is enough though (its too sweet for me, like mince pies), but part of the fun, just as is turkey and crackers – much prefer duck, beef and ham, but we’d be slaughtered if we didn’t have it.
I prefer the cold stuff on the days after the feast- turkey, ham, beef, and a good sherry trifle – plus home-made warm sausage rolls.

I’m with the ‘love it’ brigade, but it has to be home made and that is me these days. We had a pud even in the days of food rationing somehow or another, I was too young to care about the details, but I remember spending what seemed like hours picking over the fruit, didn’t seem to be seedless in the 50s. It was always accompanied by Birds custard, except for Dad who insisted on white sauce which was nicknamed billposter’s bucket.

I love Christmas Pudding although I’ve never had a home made one.

I buy a good quality pudding when they’re on sale in January and keep it for the next Christmas as they will only improve with age. Just bung it in the back of the cupboard and forget about it until December.

I haven’t had a problem with microwaving it but as was said above I heat mine on a low setting for a longer amount of time. When it’s ready cover it in fairly hot brandy that’s been heated in a saucepan and light – this way seems to work as I used to have problems with lighting it before.

As it’s so filling I like to eat mine drenched in single cream which also cuts the sweetness slightly.

There always plenty left over so I often have it again as a midnight feast – well if you cant be naughty then when can you be!

First time I’ve heard of stir-up Sunday in the real world, rather then on the Archers. I have no fondness for turkey dinners or Christmas pudding, and only tolerate it all to avoid being deemed a misery guts.

I love Christmas pudding and I love tradition several years ago Thornton’s chocolate shop used to sell Christmas puddings with Chocolate, they have not done them since. Could we start a campaign for Thornton’s chocolate to resume making and selling their chocolate Christmas puddings again.

Kind Regards

Beverley

We like the idea of Christmas pudding but in fact haven’t eaten one for several years. They are still sitting in the cupboard. Nobody is interested after the turkey.

We only really like home-made mince pies as bought ones are too rich and sweet. We like really thin pastry and mince pies are best warm. Adding other things to the mince-meat such as extra apple or cream cheese or apricot before cooking improve bought ones although they tend to have too much pastry.

For years we only ate fresh fruit salad after the turkey but that is no longer such a special pudding as it can be bought so easily ready-made. Most puddings are too sweet or rich or heavy.
I like the idea of Christmas pudding ice cream. After the military like manoeuvre of getting the main course all ready on time and cooked to perfection – the next course needs to be light and easy to serve!